Two dacoits killed during encounter

MULTAN: Two dacoits were killed during an encounter after their accomplices attacked a police party near Khanpur Qazian embankment in the premises of City Shujabad police on Sunday night. The police spokesman said that accused Shahzad Chana of Shujabad and Irfan Mayo of Kehrorpaka, Lodhran, were being taken by a police team to some place for recovery of case property.

However, when they reached near Khanpur Qazian embankment, six accomplices of the accused, riding motorcycles, attacked the police party to get their accomplices freed from the police custody, he informed. The police retaliated and the exchange of fire continued for some time, he added. The accused who were in the police custody were killed by the firing of their own accomplices, he claimed. However, the attackers escaped the scene while taking advantage of darkness, police spokesman added. The senior police officers reached the site and ordered to seal the area, he told. Different police teams were conducting raids for the arrest of escaped criminals, he maintained.

The police sources said that accused Shahzad Chana and Irfan Mayo were involved in various cases of robbery, dacoity and other offences. Agriculture Dept to hold maximum canola production contest: The Punjab Agriculture Department will hold a competition on maximum production of canola among farmers.

The initiative of competition would encourage farmers and they would focus on oil seed crops, said an official source. The federal government had earmarked Rs 5.11 billion for promotion of oil seed crops under PM Agriculture Emergency Programme. Similarly, the Punjab government was spending Rs 680 million on improving yield of canola. The competition among farmers hailing from Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Bhakkar, Faisalabad, Jhang, Kasur, Khanewal, Lodhran, Mianwali, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Okara, Sargodha, Toba Tek Singh and Vehari would be organised.

The farmers with three and more than three acres of canola cultivation would be included in the competition. However, crops ownership shareholder and contractor, after verification from Tehsil Committee, would also be entitled to join the competition. About other conditions for participation in the contest, the farmers, who cultivated recommended varieties of canola, would only be the part of the competition. The farmers could get application forms from office of deputy and divisional directors of Agriculture Department. Similarly, they can also download forms from website.